A computer network may comprise hundreds or thousands of interconnected devices such as routers, switches, and end-nodes that may include computers, servers and printers. Because of the sheer number of end-nodes, it is an end-node that typically causes network problems due to faulty hardware, virus infestation, and/or too much traffic due to the uploading or downloading of files over the network.
When a problem condition arises, it is generally the responsibility of a network administrator to find and rectify the problem. By locating the switch port to which a problem end-node is physically connected, the port can be disabled thus isolating the end-node from the network. In order to effectively manage the network, a network administrator requires tools to help locate the source of the problem.
Various software products are available to the network administrator to assist in identifying devices which populate discrete network levels. For example, a network administrator's work station executes a network management application, e.g., OPENVIEW™, a software product developed by Hewlett-Packard Co. of Palo Alto, Calif., and periodically queries routers to identify all devices connected to each router port. The network management application, e.g., the OPENVIEW™ product, thus acquires, from each router, identification of hubs and switches that connect to specific router ports and the identity of the ports.